


Just Tonight

by Farky_Fark_and_the_Munky_Bunch



Category: One Piece
Genre: Age Difference, Anal Sex, Bottom Iceburg, First Time Together, Light BDSM, M/M, Modern AU, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Rimming, Rope Bondage, Top Paulie, Unprotected Sex, Was pwp, but became pwithp, happy birthday iceburg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:07:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28543056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farky_Fark_and_the_Munky_Bunch/pseuds/Farky_Fark_and_the_Munky_Bunch
Summary: When Iceburg goes to a bar at Franky's urging, he's expecting to drown his loneliness in alcohol and the affections of a stranger. What he isn't expecting, and is sorely unprepared for, is Paulie.
Relationships: Franky/Nico Robin, Iceburg/Paulie (One Piece), Kaku/Rob Lucci, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17
Collections: One Piece Modern AU Connected Universe





	Just Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this sitting on my flashdrive for like a year now because I'm horrible about over-editing my own stuff, but now it's Iceburg's birthday so here it is. This is also technically the chronological first in what will be a series of Modern AU stories, but who knows when I'll actually get the others up. Stay tuned.

Iceburg typically spent his Friday nights at home, alone, with a book or a glass of wine or both. And he really had no intentions of changing that, except there was a nagging voice at the back of his mind, and that voice belonged to Franky. 

He’d been pestering Iceburg even more than usual lately, urging him to loosen up, _lighten_ up, “get laid for God’s sake and mine,” among other things. In and of itself it wasn’t much of a nuisance, it was just Franky being Franky, but Iceburg knew he was right, and that bothered him.

“Go out with some friends or something, Burg,” he had insisted when they’d last talked. “Hell, come over and get drunk on the couch with me like we used to, I don’t care, just don’t sit at home alone. T-Rex makes for shit company.”

It was true that the mouse did little else but sit contentedly in his cage or in one of Iceburg’s pockets, but he was quiet and non-judgmental company at least. Besides, as much as Iceburg wanted to take his brother up on the offer, he was always reminded the second that he stepped foot in Franky’s house that he was in a happy and committed relationship, and while he was quite fond of Robin, he didn’t need the reminder of how alone he was. 

So, instead, he settled for a bar. Kamabakka Kingdom, to be precise, because if he was looking for a particular kind of company he wanted it solely from men and grew easily bored of shooing away interested women at a standard bar. 

Iceburg texted Franky while he waited for a drink, letting him know out of courtesy that he had taken his advice so that he would leave him alone for the evening. The quick reply of _‘Have fun, stay safe, use protection!’_ sent his eyes rolling and he accepted his glass with a nod when it arrived. As if at forty years old he was still an idiot enough to let himself get barebacked by a stranger at a gay bar. That was a mistake reserved for a very drunk nineteen-year-old Franky in the Kamabakka bathroom, albeit, Iceburg probably should have been keeping a closer eye on him. 

“Iceburg?”

He looked up from his phone and was surprised to see a familiar man standing at the bar beside him. It was Paulie, one of the young— _far too young_ —professors in the engineering department. Iceburg considered them friends, but professionally so, in the sense that they had never really spent time together outside of the occasional work function or work-adjacent social event. Thus, his presence was a particular surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Far from it. 

“Mm…Good evening, Paulie.”

Iceburg’s low greeting sent a flush to the younger man’s cheeks and Paulie fiddled with the glass in his hands. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Nor I you.”

Paulie nodded and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Couple friends dragged me out, thought it would do me good to let off some steam.”

The friends in mention were at a table on the far side of the room. They looked vaguely familiar, but Iceburg had never learned their names if he had met them somewhere before. One was tall and strikingly handsome, his eyes dark and predatory as the slight man at his side smiled up at him, angular features alight with affection. They hadn’t spared a glance toward Iceburg and Paulie at the bar, so he assumed that Paulie was unattached for the evening, and presumably…

“You’re gay then?”

Iceburg wasn’t completely oblivious to the lingering glances Paulie often sent his direction, but he had never given enough of an indication to confirm his suspicions. Perhaps it was too forward a question, but they _were_ at a gay bar, and Iceburg had hoped, in many weak and shameful moments, that there really was a chance.

“Uh,” Paulie scratched at the back of his neck, looking adorably flustered. “Bi, but Lucci and Kaku are a little more comfortable here than at Shakky’s or Blueno’s.”

Iceburg nodded in understanding and they passed a moment in silence before Paulie cleared his throat. “Are you alone?” When Iceburg nodded again he continued, blushing deeply. “Do you want to…join us?”

Iceburg considered it, briefly, then shook his head. “Enjoy your time with your friends. I don’t want to intrude.”

“Sure.” Paulie looked like he had something else he wanted to say but ultimately decided against it. “See you around?”

Iceburg tipped his head in acknowledgement and ignored the pointed look that Inazuma shot him from behind the bar as he watched Paulie go with a little too much interest. 

Overall, the evening was a success. If, that is, success could be measured by the number of drinks he’d consumed and the number of men who had expressed their interest. But the first was barely legal, the second far too drunk, and the third just wasn’t his type. Still, three strikes plus a couple drinks made for a night that was at least fuzzy enough on the edges to be enjoyable, if not still relatively lonely. 

Iceburg could pretend that he dismissed the others for his own reasons, but every time his eyes returned to the room they found one man in particular. He was used to seeing Paulie in a button-down and jeans, and while there were truly few things in life nicer than the way dark denim looked on the curves of that particular ass, there was something about seeing him out in a casual jacket and a loose pair of cargo pants that was doing quite a bit for Iceburg’s increasingly fleeting sensibilities. 

“Who’s the blond boy?”

Iceburg turned on his stool to find the bar’s owner behind him, one hand offering a glass. With their chin in their palm and their eyes alight, they looked far too interested in Iceburg’s personal affairs. 

“Paulie,” he answered. He took the glass and then frowned when he realized it was water. Ivankov cocked an eyebrow. 

“If you’re taking that ass home tonight you’re going to want to remember it, Ice-boy. Drink up.”

Iceburg scowled. 

“I’m not. We’re colleagues. And he’s only twenty-six.”

“Hmm.” Ivankov shrugged. “Your loss. But he’s definitely checking you out.”

Iceburg rotated slightly and met Paulie’s eyes across the room. They were soft, but heated, unapologetically roaming across his frame and when they returned to his face and caught him staring, his cheeks flared red.

Using the water glass to hide his reaction, Iceburg drained it and returned it to the bar as Ivankov laughed. 

“He looks smitten. Do me a personal favor and forget about all the reasons that are holding you back. You’re allowed the occasional indiscretion. It’s just one night.”

“Leave me alone, Iva.” Iceburg grumbled. He shifted his legs in discomfort as his traitorous mind allowed him to entertain the idea. 

Ivankov obeyed, but not until after offering up a bowl of pretzels and an exaggerated wink.

For a while, Iceburg rather miserably passed his time in a half-hearted attempt to sober up and distract his over-eager body. But in the end, his willpower was weak and he turned back to the room.

Paulie had loosened up enough to be moving easily in time with the music and Iceburg hastily shifted his eyes away as his cock stiffened insistently within his trousers. His gaze fell on the table’s other two occupants and found them rather absorbed in one another. The smaller of Paulie’s two friends had his long nose pressed against his lover’s jaw, lips marking the pale skin of his neck. If the intensity with which the other man was pawing at his partner in response was any indication, they would be seeking a bit more privacy soon and would, presumably, be making their way out of the bar to find it.

As if on cue, Lucci put a hand on Paulie’s shoulder and they had a brief conversation, during which three pairs of eyes all shifted toward the bar. Iceburg swiftly averted his gaze and his heartbeat stuttered as he turned back to the bar in an attempt to distance himself from the decidedly impure look in Paulie’s eyes. 

He pretended not to care when Paulie’s two friends departed alone, and when he heard the deliberate footsteps behind him Iceburg swallowed thickly, ignoring the twin smirks being thrown in his direction by Ivankov and Inazuma.

“Iceburg.”

He turned and looked up toward the younger man. Paulie appeared to be only a few drinks in, his cheeks flushed a deep red, but his eyes still clear and bright.

“Yes, Paulie?”

Paulie’s fingers closed around Iceburg’s wrist and he stiffened when Paulie leaned into him, breath warm against the shell of his ear. “Let me take you home tonight. You don’t have to stay the night, I just…” His tongue flicked out to wet his lips and Iceburg couldn’t help his body’s reaction to the motion. “I want to be inside you. And I think you want that too.”

Iceburg knew he should say no. Paulie was fourteen years his junior, and a colleague, a friend. What good could come of anything more? But he had been ignoring the way Paulie made him feel for years, and no longer had the restraint to continue. Just having him this close made his palms sweat and his breath quicken.

Besides, it had been a while.

“We can’t.” And he meant it, but the way the words left his lips in a sigh suggested otherwise.

Paulie’s nails scratched softly at the stubble of his undercut and goddamn his touch had no right to make Iceburg _shudder_.

“We can.”

 _And you should_ , offered an all too enthusiastic voice in his mind. Iceburg was unsurprised to realize that the devil on his shoulder sounded a bit too much like his younger brother.

He thought of Ivankov’s words and felt his resolve crumble.

“Just tonight,” he conceded, but the press of Paulie’s lips at his jaw made him wonder.

“Just tonight,” Paulie echoed, hips pushing just close enough to hasten the need for friction. “I promise I’ll make you feel good.”

Iceburg yanked Paulie into him and swallowed his words in a desperate, bruising kiss. How could he say things like that, as if he wasn’t the one with flushed cheeks and more than a decade less experience in such matters? How could he say just a few words and leave Iceburg feeling utterly wrecked?

“Let’s get out of here.”

Since Paulie had arrived with Lucci and Kaku, they took Iceburg’s car, but he regretted it the moment Paulie bent over the center console and reached for his zipper.

Paulie’s eyes flicked upward, taking in the harsh set of Iceburg’s jaw and the white flex of his knuckles on the steering wheel. “This okay?”

At a nod of response, Paulie freed Iceburg’s aching cock from its confines. He licked his lips in a gesture that was absent and addicting and glanced back up once more. “May I?”

Hazy as his mind was becoming, Iceburg still knew it was risky, but his hands acted of their own accord. One fell from the wheel to bury itself in Paulie’s messy blond hair as he pushed him down until his lips parted and anything logical Iceburg might’ve said was drowned out by a throaty, _needy_ groan.

“Mmm, ah, Paulie…”

He offered a muffled grunt and could do no better with his head pressed down, nose against the soft fabric of Iceburg’s slacks.

Paulie swallowed and when his throat constricted Iceburg had to quickly steady the wheel. It was too much, too good, but he didn’t want him to stop.

“You don’t have much time,” Iceburg’s tone was cool, but the words wavered dangerously. “I’ll need directions soon.”

Iceburg expected Paulie to withdraw at his words, but instead he doubled his efforts. His mouth made sloppy, obscene sounds as spit fell from his slack jaw and slickened his movements. Paulie gagged harshly when Iceburg’s hips jolted and his throat was white hot as it tightened around Iceburg’s cock like a vice, drawing out his orgasm in a sudden, explosive burst of blinding pleasure. 

Paulie’s hand moved to help steady the wheel and when Iceburg’s eyes snapped back open he watched Paulie’s throat bob as he swallowed. It was ungodly how delicious his lips looked, swollen and slick with a mixture of spit and cum.

If Paulie’s house had been more than a few minutes away, Iceburg might have just pulled into a parking lot and finished things there. He hated feeling so impatient, so weak, but he couldn’t deny that the younger man had his heart pounding in his chest and he couldn’t remember ever feeling so urgently in need of being filled and thoroughly fucked.

When the front door closed behind them Iceburg pushed Paulie up against it, sucking harshly beneath the collar of his shirt until he was moaning and panting. When Paulie eagerly ground his erection against Iceburg’s half-concealed cock it began to harden again with an insistence that had his head spinning.

“Bedroom,” Iceburg growled, and Paulie whimpered at the command. “Now.”

By the time they reached it Paulie was already naked and Iceburg wasn’t far behind, boxers low on his hips and dress shirt open with his tie hanging loosely across his chest. 

“You’re gorgeous.” Iceburg’s voice was low and steady and Paulie trembled visibly at his words. His hands rose up, discarding the tie and pushing the shirt from his arms. When Iceburg’s tattoos were revealed Paulie’s eyes widened, dark and attentive. His fingers ran across them, pressing into the firm muscle, massaging the swirling patterns with avid curiosity. 

“ _I’m_ gorgeous?” Paulie shook his head. “Iceburg, you have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this. About you.”

He did, actually, although he had tried with great effort to dispel his thoughts about the younger man. It was only in moments of great weakness that Iceburg’s nebulous fantasies took any form, and when they did, that form was often Paulie’s.

Iceburg’s eyes trailed down from Paulie’s heated cheeks, tracing the mesmerizing flush beyond his neck and freckled shoulders to where it flared out invitingly between his nipples. 

“I’ve always wanted to know how far down you blush.”

Paulie felt an entirely different warmth overtake his chest. “Always?”

When he glanced up, Iceburg’s eyes were on his, dark and intense. “Do you remember the first time we met?” Paulie nodded as Iceburg continued. “I was expecting Lulu at that meeting and when you walked in, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You turned about five shades of red when I introduced myself and I couldn’t help but wonder how far under your collar that pretty blush went.”

Paulie gasped as Iceburg’s tongue found the smattering of freckles across his collarbone. 

“And I couldn’t believe nobody told me how hot the dean was,” Paulie confessed. “I was a goner from the start, but it wasn’t till the fundraising gala that winter that I did anything about it. You were wearing that goddamn orange pinstripe suit and I _still_ had to go jack off in a swanky country club bathroom so nobody would see how fucking hard you make me.”

Iceburg groaned his approval and Paulie’s admission spurred him back into action. He backed Paulie toward the bed but when the back of the other man’s knees hit the mattress he placed a hand firmly against Iceburg’s chest. “Wait.” Paulie’s eyes moved upward and there was uncertainty behind the desire in them. “This is it?” he asked softly. “Just tonight?”

Iceburg nodded. To admit any hesitation would be too dangerous, and far too tempting. 

“Then I want you tied up while I fuck you.”

Iceburg’s eyebrows rose and though Paulie’s blush darkened he didn’t waver. To say Iceburg was surprised would be an understatement. Paulie became a stammering fool when he saw so much as a woman’s knees and Iceburg had taken his relative assertiveness as a sign of adrenaline more than anything else. Not even for a second had he assumed he wouldn’t be the one in charge. He was used to pushing men down and riding them to his satisfaction, not being manhandled and restrained. And he’d always had the impression that Paulie would quite like him asserting control.

 _“Please.”_ Paulie kissed him and Iceburg tasted whiskey and cigar smoke on his breath. 

Would he sound like that when he was at the younger man’s mercy? Would his begging be as sweet and eager?

“Alright. But I want to taste you first.” If this was going to be his only chance, he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity.

Paulie nodded and Iceburg stripped fully before lying in the middle of the bed and gesturing for Paulie to join him. He led him by the hand until he was kneeling beside his chest and he grasped the younger man’s cock firmly in his fist before guiding it between his lips to see how much he could take. When he was confident that he could manage most of it without gagging he settled his hand at a comfortable distance and pulled back to look up at Paulie. 

“Go ahead,” Iceburg said placidly, and though he was outwardly collected Paulie had spent enough time memorizing the older man’s features to notice the sweat beading at his hairline and the dark gleam in his eyes. He hoped by the end of the night that he would be able to break down his ever-professional exterior and leave him pleading and delirious. He hadn’t expected Iceburg to agree to any bondage, and he almost couldn’t stand knowing that he’d be able to act out one of his most frequent fantasies. 

“You want me to…”

“Fuck my face, Paulie, yes.”

God, Paulie both loved and hated how nonplussed Iceburg looked while he was trying to just keep himself together. He was so torn, simultaneously wanting nothing more than to submit to Iceburg’s authority, but desperate to see tears in those soft, dark eyes, leave marks on his skin, own him for the one night he would be allowed to. 

Iceburg’s lips parted obediently as Paulie surged forward, a low, unabashed moan vibrating along his throat as it was filled and left empty in a quick, unrestrained rhythm. One of Paulie’s hands tugged at the short strands of Iceburg’s dyed hair, hard enough to pull his head forward and Iceburg’s throat bobbed as he tried not to gag, a glossy sheen filling his eyes as he looked up at Paulie. 

“I never thought you’d let me do this to you,” Paulie panted, his orgasm fast approaching as Iceburg raised an eyebrow and hummed around his cock. “But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve jacked off imagining letting you fuck my face in your office, beneath your desk.” Iceburg’s pupils expanded, nearly erasing the visible sliver of brown, and Paulie groaned when he moved his free hand to stroke himself in time with the motion of Paulie’s hips. 

“If you keep doing that, I’m gonna come before I’m inside you.”

Iceburg tapped a finger against Paulie’s thigh and when he pulled back reluctantly Iceburg answered, voice thick and slurred from the rough treatment of his throat. “I was expecting you to. You’re young, Paulie. Can’t you handle it?” There was a teasing glint in his eyes that made Paulie feel weak in the knees. 

Before he could reply Iceburg’s hand was on his ass, pushing him back against his slick, swollen lips and Paulie nearly came at the sight of Iceburg’s dark lipstick smeared sloppily across his dick. The hand that wasn’t urging him forward moved between his thighs, palm rolling his balls as Iceburg’s fingers pressed just beyond them. With the extra stimulation it only took a few more shallow thrusts before Paulie lost control and he swore through his teeth as Iceburg maintained the suction of his lips, his tongue tasting and teasing even as Paulie jerked with something that was just on the line between pleasure and pain.

Iceburg released the younger man when a strangled whimper was all he could manage and he looked up into Paulie’s eyes when they blinked open. 

“Mm, you taste even better than I imagined.”

Huffing a disbelieving laugh, Paulie collapsed beside Iceburg. He could feel the older man’s gaze on him as he ran a hand back through his hair and he watched the slow, lazy movement of Iceburg’s hand as he shamelessly masturbated to the sight of Paulie’s post-orgasmic high. 

Rolling onto his stomach, Paulie leaned over and kissed Iceburg, tasting the salty tang of his own release on Iceburg’s tongue as it teased the roof of his mouth. His hand moved across the smooth expanse of Iceburg’s chest, fingers catching pleasantly in the line of dark hair below his navel. Iceburg’s head tipped back when Paulie’s fingers began to move in rhythm with his own. A soft sigh blew through his lips and Paulie kissed them again. 

Iceburg let the exploratory fondling continue for only a few more concentrated strokes before propping himself onto his elbows and dislodging Paulie from his position across his chest. 

“Where do you want me, Paulie?”

He didn’t answer for a long moment, and Iceburg was about to repeat the question when he cleared his throat. “On your stomach. Make sure your head’s comfortable and not too close to the wall.”

Iceburg nodded and rolled over while Paulie clambered off of him and crossed the room. When he reappeared in Iceburg’s line of sight he had a few thick cords of rope in his hands and it took a measure of self-control that the older man didn’t realize he possessed to stop from rocking his hips into the mattress when his erection throbbed at the sight.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Safe word, or colors?”

“Colors are fine.” Iceburg had never experimented with anything that required either, but he had a font of information who was as adventurous as he was loquacious, with a girlfriend who was apparently more than willing to entertain his submissive tendencies. He never thought it was information he would need, but neither had he ever thought he would actually be in Paulie’s bed. It was a night full of surprises.

“I’m going to tie your wrists first.”

Iceburg nodded and took a deep breath as Paulie began to bind them together, trying in vain to slow the pounding of his heart. When they were secured to Paulie’s liking he stepped back.

“Can you move them?”

Iceburg tried to wiggle his wrists and when he found them far too securely bound for any such movement, he shook his head. 

“Good. I’m going to move to your legs now. Let me know if anything I do is uncomfortable.”

Iceburg nodded and tilted his head to try and watch as Paulie quickly and expertly spread his knees and bound his ankles to his thighs so his heels were taut against the flesh of his ass, putting it on open display and granting Paulie ease of access. When he was finished he tied a final length of rope between the two sets of knots, pulling Iceburg’s wrists down to meet his feet as he arched into the binding and then pausing for a moment to admire his handiwork.

“Color?” Paulie asked softly, moving to the bedside table to retrieve a condom and a bottle of lube. 

Iceburg paused, giving himself time to adjust to the foreign pull in the muscles of his thighs and shoulders. “Green.”

“You’re doing very well,” Paulie said proudly, calloused fingers brushing across Iceburg’s heated skin. The praise did nothing in particular for Iceburg’s arousal, but the ravenous look in Paulie’s eyes was thrilling in ways he hadn’t expected, and he ground himself down into the mattress in frustration as Paulie continued to tease the firm muscles of his ass. 

“How long has it been since you’ve had anything inside you?”

Color rose to Iceburg’s cheeks, matching the faint tint spreading beneath his bindings. “A week or so,” he admitted. “But about eight months since it hasn’t been self-inflicted.”

Paulie tried to tamp down the surge of jealousy that rose in his chest. He knew that Iceburg had absolutely no responsibility for being the object of every dirty fantasy Paulie had had since they’d first met, but he hated the thought of any other man seeing him spread out and vulnerable like this. 

As if sensing his thoughts, Iceburg offered one further comment. “I’ve never done anything like this though. I’ve only ever topped a few times when I was in my twenties, but I’ve also never let anyone have this much control over me.”

“Why me then?”

Iceburg shrugged as best he could. “I trust you. And I want you more than I’ve wanted any other man in my life.”

Paulie’s pulse thrummed wildly at Iceburg’s candid confession. He wasn’t going to risk his chances by arguing, but by God there was no way he could get his fill in just one night. 

Iceburg was expecting a response of some sort and when it didn’t come he craned his neck back to find Paulie staring down at him, enraptured. He meant to tease him back into action but then Paulie was bending down and Iceburg’s mind went white with pleasure. 

Paulie’s tongue was hot, rough, _thorough_ , and when Iceburg moaned throatily, Paulie felt his half-hard dick swell back to full attention. 

“Ah, mmm. Paulie…”

Iceburg’s breath came out in short, stuttered gasps and Paulie bucked his hips instinctively against the edge of the mattress, blindingly aroused by the sounds he was drawing from the other man’s lips.

When Paulie’s index finger joined the laving of his tongue Iceburg offered another weak moan of his name. “Paulie, more. Keep going,” he rasped, thighs trembling against their bonds. “I can take it.”

Paulie added a second finger and steadily worked him open, Iceburg biting back a gasp at every firm press of his fingers. Paulie brushed softly, so softly against his prostate, teasing and taunting, and with his legs bound there was no way Iceburg could get the kind of friction he needed to relieve his aching, twitching cock.

Paulie took notice of the struggling of his limbs and moved up to kiss the nape of his neck. “Color?”

“Green. Paulie...”

“Mmm?” He pressed firmly and Iceburg arched into the touch. The bow of his back was delicious, irresistible, and Paulie couldn’t help himself from bending down and sucking a bruise into the space between his shoulder blades. 

Iceburg wished that the younger man was flushed and panting beneath him, wished he could take his erection in hand and stroke it as he lowered himself onto Paulie’s cock, _anything_ to relieve the pressure that was building in his gut with no apparent relief in sight. But he couldn’t quite hate the feeling of being at Paulie’s mercy. If Paulie wanted him to beg, then he’d plead until his throat was raw.

“Please, I…I want you inside me.”

And although that _was_ what Paulie wanted, more than anything, he didn’t just want Iceburg to beg for his cock. He wanted him to beg to be touched, to beg to come with his stained lips wide and his dark eyes glassy. The next time he saw Iceburg stoic and serene across from him in a meeting, he wanted to know that he had been able to reduce him to a quivering mess and utterly break him apart. 

After rolling down the condom, Paulie ensured he was properly lubed and then did as he was asked, pushing forward until his hips were flush against Iceburg’s taut, trembling ass. He ran his hands over the older man’s bound legs and wrists before settling flat beside his waist, enjoying the sight of the rope across his tanned skin. 

“My God, Iceburg. You’re so beautiful tied up and spread open for me like this. _Fuck._ ”

Iceburg was murmuring muffled obscenities into the mattress and when he lifted his head to look back at Paulie he spoke in a low, urgent tone. “I need you to move. Fuck me, Paulie.”

It was an order, snapped unthinkingly, and Paulie bit back a moan that would’ve let Iceburg know just how little control Paulie actually had.

The first withdrawal made them groan in unison and then Paulie found his rhythm, thrusting smoothly as he bent to kiss Iceburg’s spine. His skin was salty with sweat and Iceburg shuddered as Paulie’s teeth sank into it, followed in a moment by his tongue as it flicked out to lap up the thin sheen of moisture. 

“You feel incredible,” Paulie murmured, reveling in Iceburg’s answering grunt. “You take my dick so well. Do you like being tied up? Do you like it when I’m in control?”

Iceburg was beginning to believe that, perhaps, in fact, he did, but more than anything else, he had been building steadily toward his second orgasm since sucking Paulie off and his inability to ease the ache was driving him crazy. He hadn’t managed two in one night since he was much younger, even when he had a partner that didn’t come from his bedside table, and the pressure in his gut was nearly unbearable. He had doubts about being able to manage a third at his age, but he wouldn’t be averse to trying, if only Paulie would keep touching him. Kissing him. _Fucking_ him. 

“Are…” The words caught in Iceburg’s throat and he swallowed thickly as Paulie’s hips rolled in a maddeningly steady rhythm. Although it felt amazing, it wasn’t what he needed, not by a long shot. He tilted his head back over his shoulder and watched Paulie’s pretty green eyes widen when he spoke, confirming his suspicions. “Are you sure you’re in control?”

Before Paulie could reply, Iceburg shifted, using his knees as leverage to impale himself back on Paulie’s dick, _hard_. 

The hands on Iceburg’s hips shifted swiftly from gripping to pressing, aiding in the sharp arch of Paulie’s back as he cried out. 

“These clever knots of yours aren’t giving me much slack,” Iceburg panted, gaze tethered to the visible whites of Paulie’s eyes. He pushed himself forward and then rocked back again, earning another high keen. “So I can’t keep this up for long. I’ll need your help.”

Paulie’s eyelids fluttered and he looked down at Iceburg through a haze of arousal. Although he was the one with his cock buried deep in Iceburg’s ass, he felt completely and utterly _fucked_ and goddamn if it wasn’t the hottest experience of his life. 

“What do you need from me?”

“I need to come, Paulie. Touch me, fuck me harder, I don’t care. Just make me come.”

“Yes, sir.” The words were out before he could stop them and Paulie let his eyes flutter closed, unable to bear the smugly triumphant expression on Iceburg’s face. It made him feel weak in all the ways he craved and he hated himself for giving in so easily.

He reached a hand up and pulled down one of the pillows from the head of the bed, positioning it beneath Iceburg’s hips. Iceburg lifted his ass in a coy invitation for Paulie to retake the lead and when he surged forward the new angle sent him ramming against Iceburg’s prostate. Iceburg yelped at the sudden spike of pleasure, hands fisting ineffectually against the soles of his feet. 

“Yes, Paulie. _God yes…_ That’s it. Keep going.”

Bracing one hand against Iceburg’s spine to keep the angle, Paulie brought the other around to grip his neglected cock, enjoying the way it jumped against the skin of his palm. A sigh of relief pushed between Iceburg’s teeth and he groaned low in his throat. Paulie moved his hand in tandem to the bucking of his hips and Iceburg was writhing after a few short strokes, the sounds escaping from his open mouth desperate and incoherent as he struggled against his bonds. 

“Color?” Paulie asked brokenly, and his body shook when Iceburg growled in answer.

“Green. _Please_ , Paulie, green, fuck, yes, oh _God_.” The simultaneous abuse of his prostate and practiced turn of Paulie’s wrist brought his orgasm crashing down with astonishing intensity and Iceburg sobbed out a moan of mixed relief and pleasure as his cock pulsed in Paulie’s closed fist. 

Iceburg felt the sticky smear of his own cum against his ass as Paulie gripped it firmly and with a few more strong thrusts Paulie brought himself to completion, folding over Iceburg’s prone body as he murmured his name in a delirious chant.

When Paulie’s breathing began to even, Iceburg spoke, his voice wheezy. “Paulie, you’re heavy and the ropes are starting to hurt.”

“Oh, sorry.” Paulie’s hands began to work deftly at the knotted ropes and when Iceburg was freed he spoke again. “I’ll…I’ll be back in just a second.”

Paulie withdrew, standing on shaky legs to tie off and discard the condom before leaving the room. He returned shortly with a glass of water and a damp towel, offering the former to Iceburg. As Iceburg took it and sipped from it gratefully, Paulie stroked a hand across the faint red marks the ropes had left behind. 

“How do you feel?” 

“I mean,” Iceburg huffed a soft laugh. “Pretty damn incredible.” He stretched out and closed his eyes contentedly while Paulie wiped the sweat and drying semen from his skin. “But my flexibility was at its limit and my muscles were starting to protest there at the end.”

“That just means you need more practice,” Paulie replied, watching the faint impressions fade beneath his fingertips. 

Iceburg didn’t respond, keeping his face turned into the pillow. He understood the implication, and knew there was no way they could entertain it. It wasn’t that he felt nothing for Paulie, far from it, but no matter what he wanted, fourteen years wasn’t insignificant. Paulie was still young and Iceburg had already been through the years of learning and fucking up and having fun that Paulie would be wasting if he settled now. And they had their jobs to consider. There was too much at risk, and Iceburg was mature enough to understand that not even mutual attraction and mind-blowing sex could change that. 

“Tell me where it hurts,” Paulie murmured, leaving a soft trail of kisses across the descending swirls of Iceburg’s tattoos. “Let me take care of you.”

That was out of the question. Iceburg was supposed to get in his car and leave and fall asleep in an empty bed on the other side of town. They had agreed on that. 

But he didn’t.

With Paulie’s strong hands working the strain from his muscles, Iceburg felt himself beginning to lose consciousness and the weak voice in his mind protested. 

_Just tonight_ , it insisted. _Just tonight._ But then sleep was pulling him under and he didn’t fight it. He could deal with his mistake in the morning, but for now, just for tonight, he would stay.

* * *

Paulie woke late, his mind scattered and fighting against the faint twinge of a hangover. It was the familiar, pleasant ache in his muscles that brought back the memories from the night before and his head lolled sideways to find the other half of the bed empty. 

They had agreed to this arrangement, of course, but still he had allowed himself to hope. 

He was preparing to retreat back into the comfort of his sheets when he heard the creak of the bedroom door and when he turned back, a pair of sleepy brown eyes met his gaze. 

“Iceburg?”

“Good morning, Paulie.”

They stared at one another for a long moment. 

“You leaving?”

“Would you like me to?”

Paulie shook his head, perhaps a bit too eagerly if the twitch of Iceburg’s lips was any indication. 

“Alright.”

Iceburg returned to the bed, and Paulie did not fail to realize that he was still fully naked when he slipped back beneath the sheets. When Paulie curled back into the inviting warmth of Iceburg’s body, Iceburg pressed his lips to Paulie’s freckled shoulder and his hand moved down across his hip. 

“I should leave soon,” Iceburg said, and though his tone was gentle the words themselves were firm. “But…” His teeth nipped at Paulie’s earlobe and the younger man was almost embarrassed by how quickly his body reacted. “I’d like you to fuck me again first, if you’re willing.”

Before he’d even finished speaking Paulie was nodding fervently. “Yes, please, Iceburg.”

He hadn’t even been touched yet and he was already begging for permission. God, but he wanted Iceburg to absolutely _ruin_ him, and he knew he’d never have that chance. 

“Well, when you ask like that…” The older man wrapped his hand around Paulie’s stiffening cock and pumped it slowly. Paulie whimpered at the dark, pleased glimmer in Iceburg’s stare.

“Are you clean?”

The question did not compute. He hadn’t showered since yesterday morning but it hadn’t seemed like Iceburg had particularly minded the night before.

“Sexually, Paulie.” There was an almost patronizing tone to the words and, not for the first time, Paulie imagined how terribly sexy Iceburg must look at the front of a classroom. He just wished Iceburg’s vision was bad enough that he would’ve needed to wear his glasses for a night out at the bar. One heated look from above those dark frames and Paulie knew he would be soiling his pants like a teenager. 

“Oh. Yeah. Got tested after my last partner. All good.”

Iceburg hummed in satisfaction, retrieving the lube from the bedside table and slathering it liberally across his fingers. “Good. So am I.” His eyes searched Paulie’s hazy features. “I’d like to forego the condom this time, if you’ll allow it.”

The thought of being able to feel Iceburg around him without a layer of latex was enticing, and intimate. Paulie moaned eagerly in reply.

“I take that as a yes?” Iceburg began to move down the length of his body, but waited until Paulie offered verbal consent before dipping his head. 

“Yeah, yes. _Please_ , yes.”

Paulie let his eyes close as Iceburg placed light, teasing kisses across his abdomen and the inside of his thighs, the closely buzzed stubble of Iceburg’s beard scraping pleasantly against the tender skin. 

His hands reached blindly to guide the older man’s head where he wanted it and he felt more than heard Iceburg laugh as he followed the motion without resistance. Paulie took short, panting gasps through his parted lips, eyes screwed shut and nails raking through Iceburg’s undercut in silent encouragement. 

Paulie basked in the wet, indecent sounds of Iceburg’s mouth, and his fingers, bent behind his back and working in precise, deliberate motions. Heavy-lidded eyes opened to enjoy the view and Paulie found Iceburg’s gaze on his, brown eyes dark with pupils blown wide from desire. 

A trail of saliva hung suspended between Iceburg’s lips and the red, weeping tip of Paulie’s dick as he released it and the younger man felt a helpless tremor wrack his frame. 

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.” The word was heavy with want and Paulie felt a hot flush of arousal spread from his cheeks to his chest. “I want you, Iceburg. I _need_ —”

Iceburg had made sure to blow Paulie sloppily enough to act as extra lubrication and he settled fully with only a moment’s pause, Paulie’s plea captured in a deep kiss as his cock was wrapped in the most exquisite heat. A low grunt of pleasure was Paulie’s reward and he cherished it, already panting and reaching for Iceburg’s narrow hips.

The older man swiftly pinned his wrists and he shook his head at Paulie’s answering whine. 

“You had your turn last night,” Iceburg intoned firmly. “I want to see how you come when a man with experience fucks himself on you, mm?”

He grasped Paulie’s jaw and bent to kiss him again. 

He shouldn’t have, he _knew_ he shouldn’t have. Shouldn’t have stayed, shouldn’t have even come, and certainly shouldn’t have been kissing Paulie like that. But the younger man was eager, _so_ eager, and not even knowing could mellow how _good_ it felt.

“Iceburg…” His name was a moan, throaty and needy and possessive. Iceburg trembled at the sound of it. How could Paulie make even that sound so positively sinful?

Iceburg rocked at an angle that sent sparks of pleasure up his spine, knowing that Paulie’s orgasm was much closer due to his previous attentions and not wanting to come empty. The hand that wasn’t braced on Paulie’s stomach moved to his own straining erection, stroking firmly in tandem with each rise and fall of his hips.

Every soft gasp and groan through clenched teeth made Paulie keen in answer. He drank in the sounds that fell steadily from Iceburg’s parted lips, committing them to memory, letting them pull him deep into a haze of pleasure. It would all be over soon, he could feel his balls drawing tight, feel the pressure building, and he tried to stave it off. He didn’t want it to be over, not yet.

“Iceburg, please.”

“Please what?” There was heat in his calm reply, a stuttered breath between the words. 

“Let me touch you. I want to watch you come.”

“If you insist.”

When Paulie’s hands reached out to replace Iceburg’s he didn’t dismiss them and a groan rumbled through his chest at the feel of Paulie’s calloused fingers. Sometimes he forgot how much better it felt when it wasn’t his own hand, even if he knew best how to handle his own pleasure.

It seemed Paulie had been watching Iceburg’s movements because he replicated them with ease, his fist tugging gently, tightening and loosening as it moved, twisting minutely when it neared the sensitive head. 

The loud, shameless moan that fell from Iceburg’s lips shot straight through Paulie like a bolt of lightning and he arched upward, muscles tensing in anticipation. Before the tether could snap Iceburg abruptly stopped his movements, hovering with only the tip of Paulie’s aching erection still buried inside him as he closed his hand around the base of it.

“I—oh God, Iceburg,” Paulie whimpered, eyes pleading and desperate. “Fuck, I’m so close. Please, _please_.”

There were tears in his eyes and Iceburg felt his dick throb in protest at the pout that turned down the younger man’s full, swollen lips. It felt, and certainly _looked_ good to have the tables turned. 

“I want to come while I can still feel you inside me,” Iceburg answered. He leaned down to kiss those irresistible lips, and it was too soft, too sweet for what was supposed to have been just a one-night stand. 

Paulie whined, but nodded in acceptance, taking slow, deep breaths in an effort to relax his trembling muscles. When he felt the urgency of his orgasm begin to ebb he breathed out a sigh. 

“I-I’m good. You can keep going.”

Iceburg’s answering pace was harsh. Each rise and fall was quick and precise and intended to bring him straight to his end. Paulie watched him move, enraptured. Though it had been devastatingly erotic in every other way, he hadn’t been able to see Iceburg fall apart in his position the night before, and he watched greedily as the older man fucked himself to completion on his cock. 

What started as a gasp melted quickly into a groan and Paulie swore softly as Iceburg’s face contorted in pleasure, nails digging deep into Paulie’s thick, muscular thighs.

“Fuck, Paulie.” The sound of his name and the clenching of Iceburg’s taut body was enough to bring his lurking orgasm surging back and Iceburg bent low across his chest, voice hoarse against Paulie’s ear. “Come inside me.”

Paulie was absolutely powerless to do anything else and the rough, debauched cry of Iceburg’s name that tore from his throat was swallowed by a series of long, possessive kisses. He trembled helplessly, losing himself in the tight heat that enveloped his cock, milking him dry until he was spent and gasping for breath.

For a few long moments they remained where they were, Iceburg lying prone across Paulie’s heaving chest and panting softly against the curve of his neck. The air felt thick with tension and Paulie bit back everything that he wished he could say. Instead, he settled a hand across Iceburg’s back, stroking softly at his spine and pressing his fingertips into the marks that had begun to darken overnight. 

At the pointed motion, Iceburg pulled away, swinging his feet onto the floor and sitting for a moment to still the swirling of his head. “Can I take a shower before I go?” Paulie nodded and Iceburg glanced back over his shoulder to look at the younger man. “You can join me if you’d like.”

Iceburg rose from the bed and Paulie watched him with wide, attentive eyes. If the recipient of Paulie’s affections was a handsome man on any given day, then a freshly fucked Iceburg was a goddamn work of art. The bite marks along his spine were dark against his skin and Paulie’s eyes followed the trail of his own semen as it ran along the muscles that had just moments before been taut with the exertion of riding him. The sight of it leaking steadily from Iceburg’s toned ass had his dick twitching with renewed interest and he swore faintly in dumbfounded awe. 

Iceburg had a hand on the doorknob when his phone started ringing and he looked around for a moment before locating his slacks and moving to retrieve it. He frowned slightly when it continued to ring then looked down at the screen with a sigh.

“I should take this. It’ll just be a moment.”

Paulie nodded and made his way to the edge of the bed with some effort. He stretched his arms up over his head and was pleased to see Iceburg watch the movement with a little too much interest. 

“I’ll start the shower. Come in whenever you’re ready.”

Iceburg nodded silently, eyes tethered to the subtle sway of Paulie’s naked ass as he left the room. He cursed softly and Paulie heard him answer the phone with an irritated snap.

“What the hell do you want, Franky?”

Paulie was standing with his head tilted back under the water when Iceburg slid aside the curtain and the sight of him took the annoyance out of Iceburg’s half-hearted grumble. “Nosy bastard.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That I let my much younger colleague tie me up and then rode him raw.” Iceburg snorted indelicately when Paulie’s eyes snapped open. “I didn’t tell him anything.”

Paulie nodded, but couldn’t help the insecurity that bloomed at Iceburg’s answer. He thought Iceburg and Franky were close, and wondered if he had lied because he was ashamed, or regretting what they’d done.

Iceburg read his expression clearly and tilted Paulie’s chin up to meet the affection in his eyes. “I don’t regret it,” he assured him. “But we both know what happened can’t happen again. My brother’s a hopeless romantic and he wouldn’t be able to accept that. It’s going to be hard enough for me around you from now on without him pestering me about you too.”

Paulie wanted to argue. What happened _could_ happen again, _should_ , when they felt so damn good together. He didn’t care about the gap in their ages, or their professional relationship. He’d been nursing a crush since his days as a doctoral student and he wanted to be more than just a one-night stand. He wanted to date, to know everything there was to learn about each other, and if it was possible for them to fall in love, then he wanted that too.

Against his better judgment, Paulie leaned forward and kissed Iceburg, fingers dragging across slick, toned muscle in a desperate attempt to memorize the feel of his skin. A soft touch urged his lips to part and when Iceburg’s tongue swept across his own he trembled.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” The words were whispered softly against his mouth and Paulie felt a bitter twinge in his chest. It was already too late for that, and they both knew it.

After stepping from the shower, Iceburg began to rebuild the wall of professional courtesy between them and Paulie trailed along behind him to the front door, sullen and silent. 

“I…enjoyed our time together,” Iceburg said carefully, fiddling with the cuff of his rumpled dress shirt and avoiding Paulie’s accusatory stare. “I hope we can maintain our relationship as colleagues and,” He hesitated, for a moment so brief Paulie almost missed it. “Friends.”

Paulie nodded, swallowing down the lump in his throat. It wasn’t until Iceburg was in the driveway and fumbling for his keys that he spoke, stepping out onto the porch. 

“Iceburg, it doesn’t have to be like this. We could give this a chance.” He heard the desperate plea in his words, but couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed. 

Iceburg shook his head, unable to meet Paulie’s eyes and maintain his resolve. 

“Goodbye, Paulie. I’ll see you around.”

* * *

Iceburg drove slowly, so deep in his own thoughts that when he reached his driveway he couldn’t recall how he’d gotten there, or whether he’d inadvertently broken any traffic laws in his distraction.

Tyrannosaurus began clambering at the bars of his cage the moment the front door opened and Iceburg approached, mumbling apologies for his long absence. 

Once the mouse had been fed and seemed content, Iceburg lifted him from his cage and deposited him into the breast pocket of his wrinkled shirt. He delivered a few absent strokes to the rodent’s head with a finger as Tyrannosaurus squeaked happily. The mouse poked out his nose when Iceburg settled heavily onto the couch and gave his owner a look that seemed almost inquisitive. Taking the bait, Iceburg sighed. 

“I think I made a mistake, Tyrannosaurus,” he said solemnly. “You know Paulie?” Tyrannosaurus was silent and Iceburg ran his hands across his face. “Mm, of course you do.” The poor mouse had been subjected to Iceburg’s lonely pining for years now. How utterly pathetic. 

Feeling a bit too self-aware to unload his burdens on Tyrannosaurus once again, he slid his phone from the pocket of his trousers and wearily redialed the number at the top of his call history. 

“Hiya, Burg. Still with your secret lover?”

Iceburg scowled deeply.

“I certainly don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Well, lemme see…I called you this morning to check up on you after your night out, as any good brother would do, and you were _super_ quick to hang up, so…” Iceburg’s brow furrowed at Franky’s knowing drawl. “Sorta figured I interrupted somethin’ or another.”

“Yeah,” he evaded. “My sleep. I was hungover. Lay off, Flunky.”

“No can do!” Franky returned brightly. 

Iceburg was seriously considering hanging up again, but the notion of spending his day alone with his thoughts made him reconsider. 

“Do you have any plans for today?”

“Nah, not really. Robin’s going out to lunch with Zoro and Sanji in a bit.”

“You’re not going with?”

Franky snorted wryly. “Oh, no. I suggested it, Robin made an offhand comment about it being a double date, Zoro laughed, and Sanji just about took his head off.”

Iceburg cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t they sleeping together?”

Franky sighed and Iceburg could practically see him throwing his hands in the air. “Right now? Who knows? But Sanji’s definitely hit that before. They’re driving us all crazy.”

This was only one of many reasons why Iceburg was glad that he existed on the periphery of Franky and Robin’s large and remarkably young friend group. 

“Well, if you’re free, do you want to come over for a bit?” He hoped Franky wouldn’t pick up on the hopeful desperation in his tone. 

“Yeah, actually. There’s…something I need to talk to you about. Want me to grab lunch on the way?”

“Go ahead. I’ll pay you back.”

“Whatever,” Franky answered dismissively. He inhaled as if to speak again, but was interrupted by the faint sound of Robin’s voice in the background and Iceburg heard his muffled answer. “Sure. Later, babe. Love you too.”

Franky had tilted the phone away from his mouth, but Iceburg could still make out the soft smacking sound of a kiss and his stomach clenched with an unpleasant mixture of envy and self-pity. Tyrannosaurus offered a squeak of sympathy—Iceburg supposed—at the frown on his owner’s face, and it only made him feel worse. 

“Sorry. Robin was heading out. Be over in ten?”

Iceburg cleared his throat and nodded reflexively. “Fine. See you soon.”

Tossing his phone onto the coffee table, Iceburg stood. After unlocking the front door he deposited Tyrannosaurus on the couch and retreated to his bedroom. As he unbuttoned and balled up his day-old shirt, he caught sight of his reflection across the room. Turning his back to the mirror, he surveyed the line of dark bruises that began at his shoulder blades and ended at—oh, well, he couldn’t remember when Paulie did _that_. 

The familiar trace of sandalwood and cigar smoke clung to the fabric held loosely in his fist and without thinking about it, Iceburg raised it to his face and breathed deeply. He was still standing in front of his mirror with his shirt pressed to his nose and his mind back in Paulie’s bedroom when the familiar clomp of his brother’s heavy footfalls broke him from his trance. 

“Oi, ice for brains, you decent?”

Iceburg looked down at his bare chest and the visible tent in his trousers. “Mmm, ah, just a moment. Please watch your step.”

“Shit, okay. Uh…oh, hey there, little bro.”

Iceburg dressed quickly as Franky made conversation with Tyrannosaurus. The mouse was sticking his nose out from the immaculate crest of Franky’s pompadour when Iceburg entered the kitchen, but the sight of his owner had him scampering back down to the familiar comfort of Iceburg’s breast pocket. 

“Hello, Franky.”

“‘Sup, Idiotburg?” His eyes swept across Iceburg, searching for any evidence of a tryst from the evening before. “This one’s yours.”

Franky scooted a wrapped sandwich in his brother’s direction then set to unpacking his own lunch. 

They ate in silence for a minute and predictably, Franky was the one to break it. He slurped noisily at his cola, regarding Iceburg from beneath furrowed brows. “So, how was last night?”

Iceburg offered a one-shouldered shrug and turned to grab a beer from the fridge so he didn’t have to meet Franky’s eyes. 

“It wasn’t what I was expecting when I went out,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “And if anything, I just feel worse.”

“Damn. Sorry, Burg. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“It’s fine.” His tone was dry and cynical. “Maybe I’m just losing my touch.”

“No way. You’re a total DILF, Burg.”

Iceburg’s eyes narrowed. “Do I want to know what that means?”

“Well, it was Usopp who taught me—”

“So no,” Iceburg declared flatly, and Franky’s answering gesture seemed confirmation enough. “But enough about my sad excuse for a social life. What did you need to talk to me about?”

“Uh…” Franky hesitated, the break in his words punctuated by the now air-clogged suck of his straw. “It’s nothing we need to talk about _right now_. We can wait until you aren’t quite as…grouchy?”

“That seems unlikely,” Iceburg deadpanned. “Just spit it out.”

His younger brother exhaled heavily and then nodded. There was a glint of what looked like nervous excitement in Franky’s eyes when they met Iceburg’s and he felt his stomach sink in realization. 

“I’m gonna propose to Robin.”

Iceburg cocked an eyebrow, feigning something akin to surprise. “Mm…really?”

“Yup. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now and I just…” Franky shrugged. “I don’t know. It feels right. It’s time.”

Iceburg was quiet for a moment, mulling over his brother’s words. “Might I ask how you knew?”

Franky frowned at that and perched his chin in the palm of his hand. “Hm. Well, we’ve been together for almost three years now, and I’ve been in love with her for just about as long. The other day she was…” A goofy grin pulled at his lips and Iceburg noted the dreamy quality of his gaze with equal measure of happiness and shame. “She was telling me about a new research thing she thinks she wants to study and I looked at her and knew right then that I _had_ to marry her. Every excuse I’d made up in my head was just…” He fluttered his fingers. “Too soon? Too stressful? Too risky? I really don’t give a damn anymore, Burg. I want to be with her for the rest of my life and that’s all that matters.”

“It’s worth it, no matter what?” Iceburg mused softly, drawing his brother’s gaze again.

“Yeah, exactly. There really _isn’t any_ risk at all anymore if it’s a risk we’re both willing to take.” Franky looked like he wanted to press Iceburg a bit, but ultimately thought better of it. “I’m planning on doing it in about a month, just before the grand re-opening of the Baratie. Till then I’ll be working on making a ring I guess.”

“Well, I’m happy to hear it. You’re lucky to have her, Moronky.”

“Oh, sure, _super_ lucky. But not vice versa?”

Iceburg chuckled and shrugged teasingly as Franky grinned. 

“You’ll be my best man, right?”

“Of course. I’ll start preparing my embarrassing speech right away.”

Franky scoffed. “I’d like to see you try. Everybody already knows about all the dumb shit I’ve done.”

Iceburg smiled slightly, absently gathering the trash from their meal and moving to throw it away. “You want to stay for a bit?” He offered, glancing back over at his brother. “I’ve been working on a new set of barstools in my free time that I wouldn’t mind getting your opinion on.”

Franky pushed himself up from the counter and nodded, gesturing for Iceburg to lead the way.

For a while, Iceburg had Franky’s lively and incessant chatter to keep him occupied, but when he was once again on his own, he still couldn’t quite get Franky’s words out of his mind. His younger brother had inadvertently given him the kind of advice he’d been too stubborn to ask for, and it had given him a lot to consider.

Maybe it was finally time for him to just stop giving a damn.

* * *

Paulie only stayed home long enough to throw his clothes and sheets into the laundry and then he was heading across town, both unwilling and unable to handle being there alone until he’d had some time to think. 

When he arrived at his destination he thumbed the lock button on his keys a few more times than necessary and it wasn’t until he saw a flicker at the blinds that he stepped up, retrieved the spare key, and let himself in. 

He was greeted by a low growl from the couch. “The fuck makes you think you can just show up here whenever you feel like it?”

Lucci looked very much like he had been woken from a nap by Paulie’s arrival, despite the time, and his scowl was deep. Before Paulie could answer, a response came floating in from the kitchen. 

“Gee, Lu, maybe if you didn’t keep our spare under the doormat where everyone immediately looks, it wouldn’t be an issue.” Kaku popped his head into the living room with a smile, wiping his hands on the giraffe print apron tied around his waist. “Good afternoon, Paulie. Want some flapjacks?”

The mention of food made Paulie realize how hungry he was and he nodded, following Kaku into the kitchen once he’d returned Lucci’s antagonistic stare. A few minutes later the older man made his appearance, slouching down at the table across from Paulie. 

“Alright, why are you here?”

Paulie cocked his finger toward the stove. “Pancakes.”

Lucci’s lip curled into a snarl. “Cut the bullshit, Paulie. I don’t particularly care to hear about your love life, but if you’re here, you’re going to talk about it anyway, so go ahead and get it over with.”

Kaku sent Lucci a disapproving look, but he refused to soften. 

Finally, Paulie sighed. “He left.”

“Well no shit. You think he was going to move in after one fuck?”

“Golly, it’s a wonder you have any friends at all,” Kaku drawled sarcastically, bringing over three plates and settling in the chair between Paulie and Lucci. 

“Obviously not,” Paulie spat back. “But he _left_. It was…very final.”

He fished a cigar out of his jacket and Lucci watched impassively as he set about lighting it and drew the smoke between his lips.

“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? We went out to help you relax, get drunk, and come back here. Instead, you left with the man that you’ve been pining over for years and then come crying back to us when you realize it was just a one-night stand? _Sorry,_ Paulie.”

The rattling of metal echoed from the other room, followed by Hattori’s high, mocking impression. “Sorry, Paulie!”

“You know you’re a real dick sometimes, Lucci?”

He didn’t respond, cheeks full of pancake, but Kaku sighed resignedly. “He does. Thinks it’s an endearing quality. He’s just offended that you took your distinguished older gentleman and skedaddled instead of bringing him over here to knock boots.” Kaku patted Lucci’s hand as he leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “He’ll get over it, won’t you, darlin’?” 

Lucci turned his dark gaze toward Kaku, who appeared completely unfazed.

Although Kaku might not have been completely wrong, Paulie didn’t think that was really why Lucci was upset with him. He wasn’t convinced that Lucci’s opinion of Iceburg would change so drastically just by merit of inclusion. 

The real problem was that when Paulie had first started at the University as a doctoral student four years ago and met the handsome and unattainable Dean of the CAS, Lucci had been his confidant. Even from the beginning he told Paulie that he was better off forgetting his crush, and he had been reiterating that point every time Paulie pointedly ignored his advice. 

Truthfully, Paulie had never expected _anything_ to happen with Iceburg, not even a one-night stand. Yes, they had shared the occasional flirtatious glance and bit of teasing banter, but it wasn’t until he had looked across the room at Kamabakka Kingdom and seen the heat in Iceburg’s gaze that he had realized his feelings were actually mutual. 

“Well, was it worth it at least? Best fuck of your life?” Lucci’s voice was tinged with tired derision, and his expression tightened when Paulie nodded. 

“Yeah. It was…incredible.” He felt his cheeks begin to burn as the image of knotted rope and tanned skin filled his mind. “But he said we can’t do it again. He thinks it’s too dangerous to get involved.”

“At least one of the two of you is in his right mind.”

Paulie blew his cigar smoke directly in Lucci’s face and when he could make out his features again, Lucci’s eyes were dangerously narrowed. 

“I don’t know,” Kaku piped up unhelpfully. He stood and collected his and Lucci’s empty plates, running a hand fondly through his partner’s dark curls with his free hand as he passed. “Love finds a way.”

He was pointedly ignored.

“Why did you bother to come here if you didn’t want to hear what I have to say?” Lucci asked coldly. “You’ve always known how I felt about your infatuation, and I made it clear last night that I thought you were making a mistake. Start taking my advice and forget about him, Paulie. You’ll both be better off for it.”

If it was that easy, Paulie would’ve done it years ago. He wanted to. Really, he did, because he knew the dull ache in his chest would fade if he could. But then he found himself back home with Iceburg’s image burned to the back of his eyelids and his hand in his pants and he knew that despite his best intentions, there was no way he could forget.

In every way but the one he wanted, Iceburg had Paulie royally fucked.

* * *

Over the next few days, Iceburg and Paulie didn’t see each other. Neither purposefully avoided the other and that fact alone made it all too clear how often they had been making excuses to be together.

Iceburg found himself missing Paulie. Not just his touch, but the sight of him as they passed in a hallway, or the teasing lilt to his voice and the flush of his cheeks when they sat side by side during a meeting and quietly mocked their coworkers. 

The marks on his skin began to fade, but the memories lingered, leaving him aching with want. Using the toys at his disposal only made Iceburg feel guilty and unsatisfied, and his own hand was a poor substitute. 

It only took a day to realize how terrible of a mistake he had made, but he didn’t know how to properly apologize, or put what he was thinking into words. 

So, for practice, he spent his time diligently explaining to Tyrannosaurus why it was worth taking the chance. Yes, Paulie was quite a bit younger, but they were both adults, and it was unfair for him to discount Paulie’s opinion on the matter. If he was comfortable being with an older man, it wasn’t Iceburg’s place to tell him that was wrong. 

And of course, it was his own position of authority above Paulie that most concerned him, but there were proper avenues to take in situations like this. If they decided to try and make a go of it, they would do it appropriately, going through HR and ensuring that Iceburg had no sway over Paulie’s career. If things progressed positively, well…he had been thinking about running for local office for years now anyway, hadn’t he?

As good of a listener as Tyrannosaurus was, he wasn’t much one for giving sound advice, so Iceburg was left to his own devices. Generally inexperienced with relationships and unsure of how to proceed in a manner that wouldn’t make him look like the fool he was, he opted to maintain his distance for the time being. He was spending his lunch wallowing on Thursday when Robin appeared in his office, her expression stern. 

“Talk to him.”

Iceburg looked up, blinking owlishly behind his glasses. “Pardon me?”

“Act like an adult and _talk_ to him.”

He was frantically trying to figure out how Robin knew what had happened as he responded, feigning innocence. “Franky? Did I do something to upset him?”

Her eyes narrowed and Iceburg withered under the force of her glare. “Alright. I…have been meaning to. I’m not entirely sure what to say.”

“Just be honest. I haven’t said anything to Franky because he doesn’t need to know right now, but if you don’t move forward one way or the other, I will explain to him why you’ve been acting out of sorts and you _will_ have to contend with him.”

Not wanting to risk crossing the formidable woman, and secretly grateful for the much-needed push, Iceburg abandoned his desk when he was finished eating and walked to the next building over. Paulie’s office was dark and empty when he arrived and he felt a shameful surge of relief. The door next to his was open, however, and Iceburg wasn’t able to escape without being hailed loudly from within. 

“Hey, Iceburg!”

He turned and raised a hand in greeting as one of the other engineering professors waved him in. 

“Hello, Tilestone.”

“Lulu was just saying that we haven’t seen you around here lately.” His loud voice boomed in the confined space of his office and Iceburg suppressed a grimace as his ears were subjected to the other man’s unnecessary volume. 

“I’ve been busy,” he lied smoothly.

“Sure,” Tilestone said good-naturedly. “If you’re looking for Paulie he isn’t around right now. His office hours just ended and he went out for a smoke.” The large man frowned. “He’s been doing that more than usual, lately. Lulu and I are a little worried about him.”

Iceburg’s heart sank. When he’d first met Paulie it was rare to see him without a cigar between his teeth, and it wasn’t until Iceburg had gently suggested that he take better care of his health that he had noticed a decline in Paulie’s habit. If he was smoking more often again that was almost certainly Iceburg’s fault. “I’m sure he’s…fine,” Iceburg finished lamely. “But I don’t need to bother him right now. The next time you see him could you tell him to come by my office? I need to talk to him about something.”

“Sure thing, Iceburg!” 

Nodding his thanks, Iceburg retreated. Now, it was up to Paulie. Iceburg just hoped that he was willing to give him another chance.

* * *

Paulie stood out on the roof for the better part of an hour, burning his cigar down to the band. He knew he was being selfish and immature, letting his personal life affect his professional one, but he had started to feel like he was suffocating in his office. The smoke at least made his breathing catch for a reason that had nothing to do with Iceburg. 

He had almost marched over to the other man’s office twenty times a day, but his steps always faltered when he thought about what he would say. He had half a mind to just grab him by his lapels and kiss him senseless, but he had every reason to believe that Iceburg would reject him, again.

So, instead, he would spend each day trying just a little bit harder to forget the way he felt about Iceburg, and someday, he’d be able to face him again without wondering what could have been. 

Blowing the last of his cigar’s smoke through his nose and parted lips, Paulie returned his hands to his pockets and wandered back inside. As he approached his office he paused, sure that he detected the faint hint of Iceburg’s favored cologne in the air. But when he turned the corner, the door was locked, his office dark. He was still staring at it dreamily when a shadow fell across him.

“Hey, Paulie!” The veritable shout of his name from beside him jerked him from his thoughts and he looked up toward Tilestone with a scowl. 

“Christ, Tilestone. _What?_ ”

“Iceburg came by while you were out.”

Paulie felt his heart leap to his throat, but he kept his voice steady and disinterested. “And?”

“He told me to tell you that he wants you to go to his office when you have the time. Wants to talk to you about something.”

“Did he say what?” Paulie asked cautiously. 

Tilestone shook his head. “No. He didn’t stick around long.” He scratched at the back of his neck and frowned slightly. “He was acting a little odd, actually, and he hasn’t been around as much lately. Do you know what’s been going on with him?”

Paulie scowled. “No. No idea.” And if knowing that Iceburg’s own decision was making him feel like shit was satisfying, what of it?

Tilestone shrugged his massive shoulders and lumbered back into his office. “Well, that’s all. Just relaying the message.”

Mumbling his thanks, Paulie opened his own door and moved to sit at his desk. For a while, he tried to work on grading the projects his students had recently submitted, but he found himself losing his place before he could even finish one. The next time he glanced at the clock on his wall, it was just past five o’clock and he ran a hand wearily across his face. 

Packing up his things, he set about locking down his office and began his slow walk to the building that stood next door. Without thinking about it he took another cigar from his pocket and lit it, enjoying the momentary haze that clouded his thoughts. He took what comfort he could from the habit before letting out a final deep breath and walking inside. 

Kalifa was still at her desk in the Dean’s Suite when he arrived and she spared him only a cursory glance before waving a hand toward the closed door of Iceburg’s office. 

“He’s expecting you.”

Paulie nodded, heart hammering in his chest, and he paused for a brief moment before knocking on Iceburg’s office door.

“Come in.”

As the door clicked softly closed behind him, Iceburg looked up from his computer and his eyes visibly softened behind his glasses. 

“Ah. Paulie. I’m…glad you came. Sit, please.”

_"Please, Paulie.”_

A telling blush began to creep along Paulie’s neck and he did as he was asked, folding his hands in his lap to stop their nervous fidgeting. 

“Just a moment.” Iceburg finished the email he was working on, noting Paulie’s concentrated attempts to appear calm out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t intend to put the poor man in such a situation, but neither did he mind knowing that he was still able to get him so worked up. A sweating, blushing Paulie came with an entirely different set of memories than it once had.

“Sorry,” Iceburg offered, turning fully to face the younger man. Paulie looked ready to either melt or combust, or both, so he got straight to the point. “I wanted to ask you to dinner. There are some things I feel we should discuss and it’s…” He glanced at the watch on his wrist. “Getting late. I thought we might both be more comfortable outside of my office. We have a reservation at Spice Bean.”

Paulie stared at him.

Iceburg’s eyebrows rose slightly as his silence continued and he tilted his chin to level an inquisitive look at Paulie from above his glasses. The motion had Paulie frantically tightening his fisted hands in an attempt to redirect the sudden diversion of blood from his brain. 

“You want me to…”

“Go to dinner with me, Paulie, yes.” The fact that Paulie hadn’t already started giving him a piece of his mind was quite the relief. At a distracted nod from the younger man, Iceburg stood and pulled his jacket from the back of his chair. “I believe I’m ready if you are.”

Paulie rose slowly to his feet, wondering if he had lost his mind somewhere between the engineering and administrative buildings.

They were at the door when Iceburg paused, turning sideways to face Paulie. He was close, far too close, and Paulie’s face warmed at the decidedly unprofessional proximity.

“Oh, Paulie, one more thing. I don’t want you to assume I’m going to make a habit of this.” He smiled and Paulie’s eyes were drawn down to his thin lips, painted a particular, custom shade that perfectly matched the deep violet of his hair. Then those lips were on his, unconcerned with the dark silhouette visible from the other side of the door’s frosted glass.

“It’s just for tonight.”


End file.
